Compartmented container having a rupturable partition



COMPARTMENTED CONTAINER HAVING A RUPTURABLE PARTITION Nov. 8, 1949 A. A.GREENBERG Filed Dec. 31, 1947 Illlllllllll m 1 n, a. I w 4 INVENTOR.ALVIN A. GREE/VBERG A TTOR/VE Y Patented Nov. 8, 1949 UNITED TATESPATENT OFFICE manmmrsn comm mvmo A BUPTURABLE ran'rrrron Alvin A.Grcenberg, Baltimore, Md. Application December 31, 1947, Serial No.794,927

8 Claims. (Cl. 206-47) This invention relates to the compounding ofchemicals and the use of containers for them. It pertains especially tothose suitable for dental work.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improvedcontainer for dental materials that will avoid one or more of thedisadvantages and limitations of the prior art.

An additional'obiect of this invention is to provide a container havingcompartments and means for giving an audible signal when the compartmentmaterial is punctured during the mixing operation.

An additional obiect of this invention is to provide a new and improvedcontainer for dental materials that will enable them to be accuratelyapportioned, made ready for instant use, and

in a form that can be carried around or stored away for future usewithout danger of deterioration or damage, under normal conditions.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a new and improvedcontainer for dental materials that will keep the various materialsplaced therein, separated from each other until they are to be mixedtogether and used.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a new and improvedtelescopic container for the storage of materials to be later mixed whenthe container is collapsed suiiiciently enough to break through thebarriers and allow the materials to intermix with each other.

Other objects will become apparent as the invention is more fully setforth.

This invention consists of a container designed to hold dentalmaterials, of different kinds and types, and retain them separately fromeach other, so the opportunity to combine ahead of time, will beavoided; yet the structure is such that a minor mechanical manipulationof the container will bring all the ingredients into contact with eachother and made ready for use in their combined form, and easily takenfrom the container to be put to that use.

The invention will be understood from the attached drawings and thefollowing description, and its principles appreciated. These drawingsand description indicate a single form of the invention simply by way ofexample, while the scope of the invention is more fully appreciated fromthe claims, wherein its characteristics are more emphatically pointedout.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a container embodying this invention;

- and can be moved up and down its outer periph- .and the cap l3. Inthis space 25 a nature that will combine 2 Figure 2 is a sectionalelevation on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

plan view on line 3-3 Figure 3 is a sectional of Figure 2:

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation indicating the position of the partsand ingredients when the container is being collapsed sumciently toallow the cap to contact the implement and press it against thediaphragm;

Figure 5 is a'similar view to that of Figure 4 as the diaphragm is beingbroken to start the mixing of the contents; and

Figure 6 is a similar view to, that of Figures 4 and '5 with theingredients in contact with each other ready for mixing by shaking themtogether.

Similar reference characters refer to the same parts throughout thedrawings.

The particular construction of the container shown in the drawings, hasa cylindrical walled section It surmounted by a cap I l cemented in andplaced at itsbottom edge. Another cylindrical wall section I! is slippedover the cylinder lo eral surface in a telescopic manner. This sectionI: is also surmounted by a cap I 3 to close up the ellid, spaced awayfrom the wall of the secion A diaphragm or membrane ll of cellophane orsimilar material is secured across the upper open end .of the section Itand overlapped over the edges l5 and held between the outer peripheralsurface of the section III and that of the inner peripheral surface ofthe section l2, as shown in Figure 2. This makes the membrane l4 taut.In the telescopic placement of the cylinders I II and I 2 together, aspace or compartment 25 is left between the upper surface of themembrane l4 material preferably mercury l6, and a solid ball orimplement II are inserted and allowed sumcient room to move freelyaround above the membrane. In the space or compartment is of the lowersection Ill a mixture of ingredient material it preferably in powderedform is placed and is of a with the mercury or other material from thespace 25. The ingredient It also has ample room in the space orcompartment is in which to move around. The space I! exists between themembrane l4 and the bottom cap II. The cylinders l2 and It may be forcedtogether by pressing on the caps II and It with the fingers until theball or implement I1 is pressed against the membrane II by the cap it,as shown in Figure 4. Further pressure on the cap, forces the orteleseoped on each other,

amas able. After the mixture is considered complete,

the compounded material is removed by Op ning the container. This isdone preferably by rem'oving one of the caps. The material compoundedcan then be removed.

In a device of this nature, the ingredients may be introduced accuratelyon a production basis at little cost, comparatively, and then whenpacked in the container, are ready for instant use. The mixing isperformed without requiring contact with the hands, tools and surfaces,in the open. which is necessary under the common method of making suchcompounds. Even after the compound has been mixed it may be taken fromthe container with the least amount of handling. The compound can betaken from the open container, after one of the caps has been removedand placed on a tool or in a cavity or other location without contactwith the hands. This makes the arrangement sanitary and free fromcollecting foreign materials. The container may then be discarded, andsince its cost is small, there is practically no waste incurred. Thecylinders are so termed as a matter of convenience, but it is to beunderstood that the shape of the container and these parts is notintended to be limited to the round cylindrical contour, since arectangular, polygonal or other form could be used also in the sameeffective manner. The form of the implement, while also shown round orspherical could also be of other forms suitable for the purpose andadapted for breaking the membrane seal between the compartm'ents, 25 and18.

While but one general form of the invention is shown in the drawings anddescribed in the speciflcation, it is not desired to limit thisapplication for patent to this particular form or in any other wayotherwise than limited by the scope thereof, as it is appreciated thatother forms of construction could be made that would use the sameprinciples and come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A container of the class described comprising a plurality ofcylinders mounted on one another so as to slide longitudinally thereon,a membrane mounted over one end of one cylinder and forming a closurebetween said cylinders to provide compartments above and below themembrane, one of said compartments being arranged to contain aningredient, an implement freely disposed therein, and the othercompartment on the other side of.the membrane containing anotheringredient compoundable with the first mentioned, said implement beingso arranged with regard to the cylinders and membrane that said pressureplaced upon the cylinders to slide them over one another to reduce thelength of the container will force said implement through the membraneand allow the ingredients to mix in one of said compartments where theycan be shaken together by the manipulation of the container.

2. A container of the class described comprising a plurality ofcylinders mounted on one another so as to slide longitudinally thereon,a membrane mounted over one end of one cylinder and forming a closurebetween said cylinders to provide compartments above and below themembrane, one of said compartments being arranged to contain aningredient and an implement m'ovably disposed therein, and the othercompartment on the other side of the membrane containing anotheringredient compoundable with the first mentioned, said implement beingso arranged with regard to said cylinders and membrane that the pressureplaced upon the cylinders to telescopically slide them over one anotherto reduce the length of the container will force the implement throughto break open the membrane and allow the ingredients to mix in one ofsaid compartments where they can be shaken together by the manipulationof the container, and means for closing the untelescoped ends of saidcylinder.

3. A container of the class described comprising in combination, a pairof cylinders telescopically and slidably mounted on each other, amembrane mounted over one end of one cylinder and brought taut over theedges thereon to be held in between the cylinders so as to close thatend of said cylinder, said cylinders having caps closing in their endportions spaced away from the membrane whereby compartments are formedbetween the membrane and the caps, one of said compartments having afluid ingredient therein, and the other compartment having another ingredient of a nature to combine with the first ingredient on its mixturetherewith, means provided in one of the compartments for breaking themembrane when the cylinders are telescoped together, until the capengages with said means and forces it through the membrane, said meansbeing unrestrained on breaking through said seal and free to facilitatethe mixing of the ingredients in one of said compartments.

ALVIN A. GREENBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

